Split Clamp Bend Restrictor for Faster Cable Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bend restrictors for cables and umbilicals require complex bolt connections and multiple parts, leading to high installation costs, long setup times, and vulnerability to damage from strong bending forces, particularly near equipment connections.
Innovation Solution
A bend restrictor design featuring split pipe and clamp sections that can be connected using bolt connections, locking pins, or straps, with sacrificial anodes on both sections to reduce material usage and part count, allowing for easier assembly and distribution of bending forces away from critical areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional bolt connections with multiple parts are used, then connection strength is sufficient, but installation time and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp section is divided into two halves that can be assembled around the pipe section, eliminating the need for complex bolt connections. The split design allows for quick installation by simply joining the two clamp halves together, reducing installation time while maintaining connection strength through the clamp's inherent structural design
Solution Approach 2:
The bolt connection system is completely removed from the design. Instead of using multiple bolts to secure the clamp to the pipe, the invention extracts this fastening mechanism and replaces it with a direct clamp- pipe interface that relies on the clamp's geometry and material properties to provide secure attachment
2Strength
If more parts and bolt connections are used, then structural integrity is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp and pipe section are merged into a integrated assembly where the clamp directly embraces the pipe without separate fastening components. The two clamp halves are designed to fit together and secure the pipe through their geometric interlocking, eliminating the need for bolts, nuts, and washers, thus reducing the number of parts while maintaining structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp section serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, secures the pipe section, distributes bending forces, and protects the cable. This multi-functionality is achieved through a single integrated component design rather than multiple specialized parts, reducing overall device complexity
3Strength
If clamp sections are positioned close to equipment, then bending forces are restricted effectively, but vulnerability to damage from strong forces increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp section is designed with varying wall thickness or reinforcement at critical locations to provide enhanced strength where bending forces are most intense, while maintaining lighter construction in less critical areas. This localized reinforcement provides effective bending force restriction at the equipment interface without uniformly increasing vulnerability across the entire structure
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp sections are positioned and designed to absorb and distribute bending forces before they reach critical components. The structural design includes force-dissipating features that cushion the impact of strong bending forces, protecting the cable and connected equipment from damage while maintaining effective bending restriction
Data Source
AI summary
Bend restrictor comprising at least one pipe section and at least one clamp sectionwherein the pipe section comprises an outward facing flange at each end, the pipe section is split in the longitudinal direction into at least two parts,wherein the clamp section comprises an inward facing flange at each end and a pipe shaped middle section therebetween, wherein the clamp section is split in the longitudinal direction into at least two parts, wherein said parts are connectable through bolt connections, andwherein each inward facing flange is adapted to receive the outward facing flange of a pipe section.